Ideas for increasing trader performance

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Hi Tom.

This thread is dedicated to performance, not set-up, do you think that you may have given this thread the wrong title?

Performance and set-up are two totally different entities, would you agree?

How well you perform can be down to the setups you trade and the way you perceive the market so yes, I believe, there is a link between the two. But I don't really care to get caught up in the ins and outs of the title.

Can you walk the walk, Tom....for real?

I can walk a tightrope.

Backwards

Whilst drunk.

With my eyes closed.
 
That guys spits good game.
"You look like the kind of girl that gives out kisses and hugs"
Im gonna try that one out in town tonight.
 
Thought I'd make another post on these gap trades just incase there is anyone out there that is not making money on this yet.

I crunched a lot of numbers this weekend on most of the pairs I trade.

Here are the stats for the EUR/USD. It only takes an hour or so for each pair to get this kind of data and it is well worth doing. You can go back as long as you feel is statistically valid. I've gone back just 26 weeks (approx 6 months) in the data attached.

A few assumptions from the data which is contained in the attached image.

i) The EUR/USD gaps 61.5% of the time. I consider a gap to be a difference between the Friday close and the Sunday open of more than 10 pips.

ii) 100% of all these gaps recorded filled, eventually. That is to say, the odds are 100% from the data collected, that it is profitable to fade an opening gap. There is the element of time to consider here (hence the word, eventually) Only 37.5% filled in the first 2 hours of trading (i.e. before Midnight GMT) but 75% filled within 24 hours.

What is very interesting to note from the data is that the R:R is actually quite favourable on these trades. Less than 1 in every 5 trades is it necessary to have a bigger stop than a target (i.e. the fill) in order to make profit.

That is to say, one could use a stop which is, at the max, equal to the target (1:1) and make profit over 80% of the time.

iii) Upon filling the gap, the market reverses back in the direction of the gap, 94% of the time. 81% of the time there is a full reversal back to the price the market opened which gives some credibility to the assumption that there was a fundamental reason that the market gapped. It is also worth noting that the other 13% of the time there is at least a partial reversal. Interestingly enough, the only two partial reversals occurred when there was the biggest gaps indicating that if the market can fade such a large move, then there is going to be more follow through...The R:R stats for the reversals are even better than the gap trades with only just over 1 in 10 trades needing a bigger stop than target.

Read from it what you will and I hope some of you find this useful. :)

All the best,

Tom
 

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I had a few ideas about how some of you can increase your performance.

I decided to upload these ideas in PDF format as the feedback I've had from people is that it stops threads getting cluttered and makes the points easier to read.

There is nothing groundbreaking in this small e-book that I haven't said before - it's just a chance to sum up some things I think others might find useful. Hopefully it's pretty clear but go easy on me as I started writing it at Midnight when I couldn't sleep.

I’ve tried to stay away from the usual statements of “have a plan” and “manage your risk”. If you don’t already do these things, you stand little chance of long term success.

Instead, I’ve tried to identify a few strategies that have improved my performance. I hope they make a positive difference for you too.

I wish everyone all the best with their trading in 2010.

Tom

P.S. I have made a few minimal changes to the PDF and re-uploaded it. If you downloaded your copy before the last update, you should save this one over the top of it.

Thanks Tom - I found this very helpful, and it's improved my trading quite a lot.
 
I had a few ideas about how some of you can increase your performance.

I decided to upload these ideas in PDF format as the feedback I've had from people is that it stops threads getting cluttered and makes the points easier to read.

There is nothing groundbreaking in this small e-book that I haven't said before - it's just a chance to sum up some things I think others might find useful. Hopefully it's pretty clear but go easy on me as I started writing it at Midnight when I couldn't sleep.

I’ve tried to stay away from the usual statements of “have a plan” and “manage your risk”. If you don’t already do these things, you stand little chance of long term success.

Instead, I’ve tried to identify a few strategies that have improved my performance. I hope they make a positive difference for you too.

I wish everyone all the best with their trading in 2010.

Tom

P.S. I have made a few minimal changes to the PDF and re-uploaded it. If you downloaded your copy before the last update, you should save this one over the top of it.

Thanks for sharing man! :idea:
 
sorry just to calirfy i meant i wouldnt short usdjpy. musta bene hung over!

short yen is the play of the year

I think you forgot to put "worst" between "the" and "play" ;). Sorry for bumping this old thread but that call was so exactly wrong that I had to bring it up.
 

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